Lidl is removing all sweets, chocolates and crisps from checkouts in its 600 stores in favour of healthier alternatives in a move against obesity.

The decision follows evidence that parents’ attempts to encourage children to eat healthily are being sabotaged because of the easy available of junk food snacks.

Yesterday, the National Obesity Forum warned that the obesity epidemic, with all the associated ill-health, could be far worse than previously predicted.

Tackling obesity: The decision by the supermarket chain follows evidence that parents's attempts to encourage children to eat healthy are being sabotaged because of the availability of snacks

A shock report said predictions that half of Britons would be obese by 2050 were an ‘underestimate’ - because experts did not factor in how much fatter we’re getting as we age.

While last week, a coalition of doctors and academics called on stores and manufacturers to slash sugar levels in processed food and drink by up to a third over five years to combat weight gain.

A survey by Lidl - the first supermarket to implement a total ban like this - found that more than half of parents found it hard to get their children to eat healthily when there were snacks everywhere.

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The managing director of Lidl UK, Ronny Gottschlich, said the chain is the first to implement a total ban.

‘We’re committed not only to raising awareness of the importance of balanced diets and healthy lifestyles, but also to making it easier for our customers to follow them,’ he said.

‘We know how difficult it can be to say no to pester power, so by removing sweets and chocolates from our tills we can make it easier for parents to reward children in healthier ways.

‘Parents are in favour of healthier checkouts and with six in 10 households visiting Lidl at least once in the last year and five million customers a week coming through our doors, it’s important for us to meet their needs and concerns.’

Completely removed: There will be a total ban on sweets and chocolate next to the check out following a 10-week trial period (file picture)

The decision to ban junk food from tills follows a 10-week trial at some stores where ‘treat’ items were replaced with more nutritious alternatives, such as nuts and fruit, at one checkout in every store.

These checkouts received 20per cent higher footfall and research found that seven out of 10 customers would pick a sweet-free checkout over a traditional one.

Former public health minister, Anna Soubry, made efforts to get rid of what she called ‘guilt aisles’ while in post. David Cameron has also been critical of chains like WHSmith for offering chocolate oranges at checkouts.

The Department of Health is currently drawing up new voluntary guidelines for the marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar. Others could follow Lidl under this regime – however it is voluntary.

Research published by the ‘Junk Free Checkouts’ campaign last year found eight in ten parents were unhappy that stores continue to fuel obesity and pester power by putting sweets at the tills.

It was set up by the Children’s Food Campaign, whose co-ordinator, Malcolm Clark, said: ‘We congratulate Lidl for making this move and leading the way on removing unhealthy snacks from checkouts.